Hey there Johanna
by Filia Neptuni
Summary: What did Johanna mean by "There's no one left I love" ? This is her story. Here, Johanna and Santana are one and the same person. Brittanna; Fabrevans; Finchel among others *Posted in Glee archive for more audience. Will transfer to cross-over after a while*
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

_Katniss catches my hand just as I was leaving to get some water. "Don't go in there. The birds-"_

_I laugh bitterly in my head. She doesn't even know who I am. What I've been through. She doesn't know how the Capitol killed my family. How they killed my friends. How they killed... her. And yet she has the nerve to warn me about those muttations that can't even be used against me anymore._

_I look at Katniss ready to snap at her, but then I see the concern on her face. I see her fear, and I feel the way she's clutching onto my hand as if she was holding onto her lifeline. And the look, the touch, is so familiar that a wave of memories and emotions flooded through me._

_And suddenly I felt a need to fight back tears, to keep my voice as fierce as it usually was. I suddenly found it impossible to shout at her or to slap her like i originally intended to._

_Because in my mind I saw the girl that I love, the girl that I was willing to die for, looking at me with blue eyes that held just as much pain as Katniss' grey ones._


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1: **

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Willie Schuester goes to the bowl and starts shuffling the paper around. The anticipation and tension is thick in the air and I'm pretty sure the crowd was holding a collective breath. At last, the Capitol man picks out a piece of paper, and unfolds it.

"Johanna Santana L. Mason!"

His voice echoes across the vast expanse of people, and the shock was too great before I realized what exactly happened.

Well shit.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea, and I could feel a thousand eyes staring at me, excluding the ones watching from other districts.

I was just chosen as my District's female tribute.

Perfect.

I walked up the platform trying not to look nervous, looking everywhere and anywhere except at my parents' faces. Because I couldn't look into their eyes. I just couldn't.

"Congratulations!" our escort Willie Schuester said as soon as I stood in front of him. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever." He smiled awkwardly then moved to the other bowl to pick the male tribute.

"Joseph Hart!"

A guy with long messy hair appeared. He was pretty tall, taller than me anyways, and he was thin and lanky. He was visibly trembling, and I really couldn't blame him. Being chosen as a tribute for the Games had that general effect on people.

"Congratulations!" Willie repeated, stretching forward his right hand as if to shake Joseph's. Joseph doesn't take it. He just looked downward, looking as if he was going to cry. Willie patted his shoulder, which was a failed attempt in trying to sympathize with the guy who was now standing next to me. Schuester turned, faced my District then smiled proudly.

"District Seven! Please welcome, your tributes!" Willie raised his arms, as if he was expecting people to applaud but no one did. I tried to contain the disappointment that felt heavy in my chest. 'What were you expecting Mason,' I mentally chided myself. 'They're not going to clap for you. You're not some sort of hero.'

But what they did next was even better than any applause. They raised their right arms and gave us the Farewell Salute.

A Farewell Salute was something that every district had. Every salute was unique, and was usually done only during times of great celebration or whenever a great hero died or lost.

To say that this surprised me would be the understatement of the year. The people of District 7 rarely did the farewell salute to their tributes. Why they chose to do it now was beyond me.

"Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Willie repeated.

-.-.-.-.-

A peacemaker lead us to the Justice Building for our loved ones to say good-bye. I doubt my parents would go. We weren't that close. I looked up when I heard the door creak. To my surprise, it was them. I stood up, not really knowing what to do, but before i could even take a step in their direction my mother lunges forward and engulfs me in a tight hug.

It was something I never really imagined. My mother and I rarely talked. I barely felt that she cared about me, that she loved me. But here she was, sobbing onto my shoulder and embracing me as if she never wanted to let go. It took a few moments before I was able to hug her back.

"We should have done this a long time ago, Mother." My voice quivered, and I felt tears run down my cheeks. My mother chuckles a bit and she tries to smile, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll hug you more often if you promise to come back Johanna." Her small smile slips away and she cries again. She turns to my father and he takes her into his arms, while she was still saying, "You have to come back Johanna. You have to."

I wipe my own tears away, just as I hear my father's booming voice "Johanna... I know that as parents we were really distant from you. Being an only child we should have given you more attention, but I guess we were just so afraid of being bad parents that we didn't even try to be good. Now you're being sent to a place where only the strongest survives, and the rest get killed, before we even got a chance to treat you right." There was a tremor in his voice that seemed so uncharacteristic that it threw me even more off-guard than I already was. "But I know you'll win. The same way you won in every fight, in every argument that you had as a child. Because you're strong Johanna. You're the strongest person I've ever seen. And I know this because you are my daughter. I know this the same way I know that you're going to come home to us."

A peacemaker comes in right at that moment, and I hug my parents one last time, while we said the I love you's that should have been said before. And as they leave, they give me one last look, one last smile which I try to return, and then they were gone.

I was alone again. The feeling of love and warmth that I felt moments ago was gone before I could even enjoy it.

-.-.-.-.-

Now we're in the train heading to the Capitol.

I was sitting down on the plush train seats, and I was drumming my hands on the table. I was trying to hold on to what would probably be the last memory of my parents, hoping that maybe it would give me enough courage to win just like they said.

Joseph, or Joe since that was what he told me to call him but whatever, was sitting across the table. His eyes were red, so I would probably be right to assume that he had been crying. He looked like he was fighting his tears again, struggling to make sure that his voice wouldn't break when he would speak. Finally, he seemed to have regained composure and asked me.

"So do you know what our mentor's going to be like?" I shrugged in response. Joe bit his lip.

"Surely you have some idea! You've been watching the previous games, right?" he insisted. I glared at him. He shrank back to his seat, and I smirked, satisfied that I can still scare people out of their wits with a simple glare. I was just about to tell him off when a woman with short blonde hair came in. She was wearing a red tracksuit and she had a critical stare.

"Get up you two," she said. Joe gulped and immediately obeyed. Our supposed mentor looked at him from top to bottom as if he was being inspected. She mumbled something about his skinny physique.

"Now you, sissy." I scoffed.

"Sissy? Is that the best you can come up with?" I challenged. Who was this lady? Okay she was our mentor, obviously, but what gave her the right to call me sissy, huh?

"I'm your mentor and I suggest you do as I say if you want to survive at least until we get to the Captiol. Now, _get up_." I rolled my eyes and did as she told me. She inspected me, just like how she did with Joe, and nodded.

"Good, good," she commented, while nodding her head in approval as if I just passed some sort of test.

"Alright Fred Flintstone," she said looking at Joe. "Cheerio," she looked at me. "I'm your mentor, if you haven't figured that out yet, Sue Sylvester, at your service. From this day onward, at least until you die in the Hunger Games, you will do everything I say so you can 'stay alive' for as long as you can. Understood?" Joe bobbed his head up and down frantically, obviously scared of the woman. I simply stared.

"Right. Okay so you don't expect any of us to win, but you still want us to follow you. Which means we're going to die eventually, but as long as you get what you want, you don't really care," I answered, glaring at Sue who glared back at me. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up.

"I like you. You've got spunk. There's a small chance that you'll survive these Games. A _very small_ chance at that, but a chance nevertheless." Then she turned to look at Joe. "As for you, you need to toughen up."

"I can't kill," he said softly. Sue frowned.

"Come again?"

"I can't kill people." I resisted the urge to slap my face at that.

"You know what, Barney Rubble, the Games is a very _very_ brutal area. It's either you kill or be killed."

"Then I'll be killed! I'd rather die than take the life of another human being who has done no wrong!" he yelled then stormed away. Sue just shrugged.

"I guess it's just you and me, Sandbags. We start talking strategy tonight over dinner. I suggest you freshen up and relax as much as you can."

-.-.-.-.-

"So Joe the friendly caveman didn't show up, huh?" Sue asked. I muttered an incoherent 'yes' and went back to stuffing food in my mouth. Seriously, this food is really good. I mean, my family and I aren't really poor, per se, but I haven't tasted anything like this in my life.

I felt Sue's eyes on me, then she spoke up. "Hey easy there tiger. You'll get more of that later. As for now we have to talk about your strategy." I reluctantly brought the third lamb chop that I've eaten back down on my plate, and listened to my mentor attentively. This talk can cost me my life out there.

"Okay, how good are you with an axe?" I stared at her, stunned. Sue sighed. "Our district _is_ the lumber district so I assume that you know how to use an axe." I looked down and thought about my life at District 7. Prior to the time in the Justice Building before I left for the Games, the only "bonding time" I had with my father was when he taught me how to use an axe.

"Well, I can cut down a tree in 3 swings. How's that?" I asked Sue.

"Hmmm... Good but not enough. You have to be able to throw it accurately, and wield it with such precision that your enemies won't even get a chance to defend themselves before you completely butcher them." I nodded. "As soon as the bell goes 'ding', run as fast as you can to the Cornucopia. If you can't get there first, don't even try. Head to the forest. I'm sure you'll feel at home there. The _first_ thing you should find is water. Humans can go for several days without food but we can't last that long without water. Also, during your training sessions, try to make friends. It's the safest place to start an alliance since you're sure that no one can kill you there. Got it, Cheerio?" I nodded. Admittedly, despite Sue's attitude, she's got good points. Just then, Joe comes in.

"Okay Conan the Barbarian, ready to hear what I have to say to you?" Sue asked him. He just shrugged. "Stick with Red Riding Hood over here and you'll be fine." I just grunted and stared at my half-eaten lamb chop. Sue chuckled.

"Okay missy, you can eat now," she said. I immediately started wolfing down my food once again. "I suggest you start eating too," I heard Sue say to Joe. He sat down next to me and proceeded to eat.

-.-.-.-.-

As I lay down on my bed that night, I thought about everything that happened to me that day. Everything that happened in the reaping, in the Justice Building, in the train. 'Funny,' I realized. 'Was it only yesterday that I was helping my father in the forest? And I was having a decent dinner with my mother?' I laughed mirthlessly. I thought about the future that now seems so dark and finite; the future that now leads to certain death. And even if by some miracle I managed to stay alive and win, I had this haunting premonition, some sort of eerie sixth sense, that a part of me would die in the Games.

'New mission,' I told myself. 'Don't involve yourself with anyone in the Games.'

With that, I pulled the warm duvet over my tired, weary body and went to sleep.

-.-.-.-.-

"Today's lesson is about how to get sponsors," Sue began. Joe sighed and looked out the window. "I'm sure both of you know what sponsors are."

"Yeah, yeah. They send us stuff we need if they like us," I mumbled.

"Very good, sunshine. Now how to get them to like you. Normally, Capitol people dislike weaklings but if being weak is part of their strategy, then they'll love them since it means that they'll turn very brutal and violent near the end. Your training score also helps so show your skills before your training. I'll talk more about that once we reach the Capitol. Anyway, sponsors help keep you alive. They can make a big difference when you're out there in the arena and you're on the verge of life and death. But it still depends on how you present yourselves to them." Oh great. How do I make people like me? I looked over at Joe. He continued looking out the window, not caring about what Sue said. Then Willie, our district escort, entered.

"So how are District Seven's fine, young, tributes, hm?" he said. "Good luck in the Games! I'm sure you'll both do just fine! Oh and be careful with those seats! They're made of linen!" Then Willie left the train car.

"He's annoying," I said. I mean seriously, he seems to be so happy, excited even, about the Games! Oh well, I guess that's what you can expect from a person of the Capitol.

"You too, huh? Well, it's natural," Sue said. "Don't mind him that much and you'll be fine."

"I hope so."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Okay, I know thsi chapter was short but... that's the point. The other chapters will be longer. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Glee and neither do I own the characters and concepts of the Hunger Games. This co-authored with my dear friend Heya Morrivera. And yes that's not her real name (obviously) and neither is it her fanfic name since she forgot... I have no idea what. Well, whatever it is, she can't log in (Good job.) So there. Sue's Johanna/Santana's mentor. Reason why we made Johanna and Santana one and the same person... WE SERIOUSLY PICTURED NAYA RIVERA AS JOHANNA! D: A'right that's enough chit-chat for now. Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 2

"Dear tributes! We have reached the Capitol!" Willie announced. I looked out the window and beheld the glory that was the Capitol. It seems so... clean and advanced compared to my district. Then again, what else can you expect from the city full of rich and powerful people. '_Rich and powerful people who want to see kids kill each other with no mercy as a way to entertain themselves_,' I reminded myself. We neared the train station and I saw a crowd of people who seemed to be waiting for our arrival.

As the train slowed to a stop, the crows cheered and waved at us. The people here sure are strange. I mean, what's with the multi-colored hair and huge hairpieces? I noticed that some of them looked unnatural, some looking too pale and others looking a sickly green. Others had a shade of red in their complexion, or yellow, and some looked tanned, but it was far too much to be considered normal.

"Ah home sweet home!" I heard Willie say. Joe whimpered. I looked over at him, shook my head, and resumed looking at the crowd who had started to wave at us. I felt Sue approach.

"I suggest you wave back. It can help you gain sponsors... somehow," she said. I groaned in distaste but did as she said. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. These people just looked at us as entertainment. They don't consider us as human beings with our own feelings. Why do they get to choose what we do?

"Alright, cupcakes, time to leave the train of comfort and into Capitol territory," Sue told us, prodding me away from the window. I consented and walked. I wonder what marvels the Capitol has in store for us.

-.-.-.-.-

"Watch it, watch it!" Seriously these people will not be happy as long as there is a single strand of hair on my legs. Kurt, a guy who was pretty much as gay as a rainbow and had powder blue hair and a metallic silver suit adorned with diamonds, smiled sheepishly at me. "I'm sorry Johanna. Just a bit more and we're done. I promise you it will all be worth it. You won't have to live with hairy legs ever again!"

I glare at him and scoff. My legs aren't hairy. These guys are just _so_ obsessive-compulsive. In my opinion a little hair on your legs is good for you. They keep you warm during chilly times in the forest.

Just then a girl, who was wearing this leopard suit came into the room. She had red hair, and she would have looked pretty if not for the big golden tattoo on her forehead. I guess people from the Capitol would think that it looked good, but for me it was just disturbing.

My attention was taken away from the girl by another painful rip of fabric from my legs. I shot another look at Kurt, who by now had learned to just bow his head and avoid my gaze.

"Hey Kurt!" The girl called chirpily. I laughed a bit. I couldn't help it. Her accent was so heavy, and so typically Capitol, that I just had to laugh. Some of their words had unnecessary emphasis on certain syllables and letters, and some were clipped, as if they suddenly had a lump stuck in their throat. It took all of my willpower not to imitate her right there and then.

Of course my sudden happiness earned me some quizzical looks from both Kurt and the girl, probably because they've never really seen me smile, but then they were both pulled back to reality when I cleared my throat. The girl turned to Kurt and said "Hey Kurt are you done yet? We still have to do a final scrub before we get her to Blaine. And her nails! We shouldn't forget about that!" Kurt stared angrily at the girl. "You were late Sugar. That's why we're running late as well. Because of you our schedule is at risk of being compromised. You're lucky Blaine loves me. He won't be able to get mad at us!" Kurt continued scolding Sugar, which wasn't unlike how my mother used to scold me. Wait. Did I hear him right? Blaine, my supposed stylist, loves him? Which means, they're in some sort of relationship? I continued to ponder on this until I heard the blue-haired man sigh in exasperation. I think Mama Kurt's done scolding little Sugar. I suppose I'll just have to ask either Blaine or Kurt about their relationship status later. "Why don't you get started on her nails? So you can finally get some work done!" Sugar smiled apologetically and got a tool and started clipping and shaping my nails. I smirked in amusement. Ah, Capitol people. A reality show about you would be better than any game show with kids murdering each other.

After what I presume to be another hour, we were finally done with the prep work. My whole body felt so sore. Apparently when Sugar said I still needed a final scrub, she didn't mean that they were going to just scrub the remaining dirt off. No, they meant that they would scrub about three layers of my skin along with it.

I got a robe and sat down on the nearest couch. How can these people live this way? Yes, this sort of lifestyle had its advantages. I mean, the food here is prime. And they have all these machines wherein you can just order anything you like and it would come to you a minute later, steaming and sizzling.

But somehow, they were forgetting their humanity. They were forgetting who they really are. They were forgetting that sometimes you don't need all this grandeur to enjoy your life. Sometimes, all you really need are the simplest things. Things like friendship. Family. Love.

There it goes again. That nagging feeling in the back of my head. The feeling that something important will happen in these games. The feeling that my life will never be the same again, and it's not just because of all the killing I'm about to do.

I was broken out of my reverie when I heard the door open. A man entered, wearing a black long-sleeved polo with three of the top buttons undone, which exposed part of his chest that had swirling silver, blue and black patterns on them. He was wearing a crisp grey and black suit jacket over that and he had his hair slicked back. His amber eyes were twinkling with... delight? Excitement, perhaps? I decided that he looked normal enough, besides the tattoos and the earrings that I failed to notice earlier.

"So," he held out his hand and smiled warmly at me. "My name is Blaine Anderson, If you didn't know that already. I will be your stylist. My job is to make you look good in front of other people, so that you can gain sponsors." I smiled back at him. He seemed to be better than any Capitol citizen I've met so far, so I think I can risk trusting him.

"Anyway, I'm supposed to help you prepare for the parade, so that you can make a good impression. Here's your suit."

Apprehension grew in my chest. What sort of suit do I have to wear in this parade just to grab the attention of sponsors? I've seen previous costumes, and they were absolutely abhorrent. Some people wore leaves, some people wore trees, and there was this one year wherein our tributes were dressed up as axes. It was horrible.

Blaine probably saw the anxiety on my face so he held my hand and smiled again. "Don't worry. You won't be a tree this year. Well, not a full tree anyway. And you will most definitely not be an axe." I chuckled and gave a sigh of relief. Blaine let go of my hand and crossed the room in quick strides, and returned to me holding what was supposedly my costume.

I looked at it not knowing how to react. It was better than a legit tree outfit, the kind of costume you wear for plays, no doubt about it. But to say that it was conservative would be the biggest lie I have ever told. It was the sort of thing that left little to the imagination. There were leaves woven together that covered only my chest. There were these twigs that were put together, and Blaine says that they go around my arm, sort of like sleeves, except these cover only my right upper arm. According to my stylist, my left arm would be completely bare except for a few markings of leaves and vines that he would put later. Then there are these shoulder pads which are made out of branches and twigs that resemble the antlers of a stag. As for my pants, well they reach only up to my knees, and they were composed of, you guessed it, twigs, barks and leaves. To top it all off, I had a red axe, which was really light, but judging by the appearance of the blade, it was really sharp as well.

I was having a dilemma. I mean, the closest I got to wearing something like this in public was when I wore a t-shirt that a relative gave to me, which happened to be too small. I was forced to wear it, out of courtesy, but I didn't like it because it was too tight around my chest and it showed half of my stomach. Not that I'm self-conscious or anything. I know I have a great body. Cutting down trees and lugging around wood or lumber can seriously do wonders to your physical appearance. But that doesn't mean I like showing it off.

When I was finally able to bring my eyes away from my costume and look at my stylist, I almost burst out laughing. Blaine was deathly pale and his confidence and charm was now replaced by a countenance of terror and nervousness. It was almost like his job and his life depended on how I would react to his design.

I grinned widely at the poor man. "Hey Blaine. What's wrong?" Blaine smiled weakly at me. He rubbed the back of his neck and replied "You know if you don't like the design, I can still do something about it. There were some other stylists and..." I snickered. He couldn't even meet my eyes. His face fell even more when he saw me laughing in glee and amusement. I was just about to end his misery and tell him that I actually like it when an offended Kurt storms in the room.

"My Blaine worked very hard on this costume. There were days when he didn't eat, didn't sleep, because he wanted to make sure that this would turn out well. So you, missy, have absolutely no right to laugh at him."

Kurt continued to ramble on and on and he was starting to look like the angry Grizzly bear that chased me last summer when I tried to play with one of its cubs. Blaine was just staring at his boyfriend, his face looking completely grateful and adoring. By now I was laughing hysterically.

When I managed to calm down, and look them straight in the eyes without breaking into another fit of laughter, I told Kurt, "Hey chill ladyface. I'm not insulting your boyfriend here or anything. I promise." Then I turned to Blaine who was still looking at me with eyes full of dread with what I was about to say. "I love the design. It would definitely catch the attention of sponsors. And it doesn't look too bad either. Just the right balance of sexiness and badass. Which is pretty much what I am."

Blaine looked like he couldn't believe what he just heard. When my words finally sunk into his brain, he broke into a wide grin. He turned to his boyfriend and gave him a quick kiss. When he pulled away, I was positive that there was a tinge of red on their cheeks.

"Thank you Johanna," Blaine turned to me and hugged me, looking like a puppy with all that affection in his eyes. "You don't know how much this means to me. You've given me a chance to prove to others that I can make great designs that are worthy to be worn by tributes. I will be eternally indebted to you. If ever you need anything, anything at all, just ask me. I'll make sure that you get what you need in those Games."

I nodded and smiled at him. "Sure thing, man. Now get me into that kick-ass costume of yours."

-.-.-.-.-

An hour later I was done and ready to go. As I stared at myself in the full-length mirror, I smirked at my reflection. 'Not bad, Mason,' I told myself.

And really it wasn't bad at all. The costume hugged my body perfectly, accentuating every curve, every well-toned muscle that I had. The tattoos on my arm looked really cool, and it went great with everything else. The make-up was just right; it was subtle, which gave the illusion of a naturally glowing face. I thanked the gods that my stylist knew what he was doing and that he was really good at it.

Blaine made me look like a carefree girl; a girl that was forced into a costume and was dragged into a world she doesn't know about, a world she doesn't want to know about. But this girl has to join this world, no matter how cruel it is, because that's just the way it works. The trick was almost flawless; we would have been able to deceive anyone.

But there was a crack in the mask, a sign that the light-hearted girl was just a facade. Look beyond the innocent glow, the charming smile, and you would see the ferocity, the anger in her eyes. You would see in her the desire, no, the_ need _for revenge, for justice to take its rightful place.

I will make people love me. I will make them sympathize with me. I will even make them think that I have no chance, that I am a mere weakling. But in the end I will satiate their thirst for bloodshed. I will come out of these Games triumphant.

I am Johanna Santana Lopez Mason. And I am the girl who fooled them all.

-.-.-.-.-

The parade was about to begin. Joe and I met up around 15 minutes ago and were just hanging out, talking by the horse stables. We were discussing about our plan of action, our strategy to get the attention of sponsors. We decided to go with sweet and friendly, because maybe then the sponsors would grow fond of us. Which means, they wouldn't want us to die, and in the Games, that matters a lot. The fierce side can appear later on.

In the middle of our conversation, I get this impulse to turn my head. To just stop talking, even for just a second, and just turn my head.

I've always trusted my gut before, and today wasn't any different. So I shut up, turned my head and looked.

Best. Decision. Ever.

There, standing a few metres from us, was a goddess. Somehow, while I was looking at her, time stood still. Everything seemed to make sense. All those thoughts about love, all those feelings that wouldn't go away, they were all leading up to this moment. To the moment when I would meet her.

She had long blonde flowing hair, and she had a fair skin complexion. She was wearing a black jumper that still managed to look good on her, and a hard hat with a headlight. Her body was well... amazing. Her arms and her leg muscles were toned, and I bet she had a set of defined abs too, judging by her small waist and her general body built. She had pink lips that were now formed into a pout, and I felt like I could just die right there. And those eyes, Jesus Christ! They were a clear shade of sapphire blue, and they seemed to sparkle with something that I couldn't quite figure out.

And in that moment, she turns her head my way and she looks straight at me. Her beautiful eyes widen a bit, as if she just had an epiphany, and her pout was replaced by a smile.

My heart starts beating to an entirely different rhythm, a different song that I would really like to name Heart Attack.

And hope flutters wildly in my chest. Because, maybe, she felt it too. All the impulses, all the feelings.

And I've never really believed in soul mates. In all that "fate" and "serendipity" and "being meant to be" crap. And while I do believe in love, I've never really believed in love at first sight. I couldn't really understand its logic. How can you fall in love with someone you barely know? How can you tell if this person is the one you're supposed to be with?

But for some reason, right now, those thoughts don't really seem as complicated as they were to me back then. Right now, I finally understand what people are talking about when they talk about love and fate.

And the girl looks at me, in a way no one has ever looked at me before. And it's like she can read my thoughts, and understand it better than anybody can. We formed a connection in that instant, and it was one that wouldn't be severed no matter what.

The feeling was exhilarating. It was like nothing I've ever felt in my life... and it scared me.

It scared me because I know I am starting to fall for a girl, at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Both of us were facing death, and only one can survive.

I have never been more frightened in my life.

But as I see her starting to walk towards me, I push away all those thoughts to the back of my head. 'I need to make this last,' I decided. 'I need to make every moment with this girl as memorable as possible.'

And then I see her getting closer to me. And she smiles even brighter than before and I find myself falling just a bit more. And I pray to any god that exists out there to make her fall for me as well.

My wish gets granted instantly.

And I would've been grateful too, if the wish wasn't taken literally.

The girl of my dreams suddenly slips. She would've fallen flat on her back, but then my reflexes turn out to be faster than I expected them to be. My hands find their place around her waist, and her hands slip around my neck out of instinct. Her eyes are shut tightly, probably as a way to brace herself for the fall that never really came.

She realized this after a few seconds and opened one eye. She peered at me and then grinned shyly at me. I couldn't help but grin back, amused. She started to stand up, without removing her hands from my nape, and I helped her regain her balance. When we were both upright, and still holding onto each other in a way that was too intimate for two people who just met, she giggled. It made me blush, and ethnics aren't even supposed to blush. What was this girl doing to me?

"So," she began. "You just saved me from embarrassing myself in front of all these-" she looks around and sees that aside from me and Joe (poor guy, I sort of forgot he was there), and the horses, nobody really saw her slip. "- horses. How can I ever repay you?" I chuckled at her playfulness. This girl can make me feel more comfortable than anybody else. With her, I feel like nothing can go wrong. With her, I feel like maybe the future holds something better for me after all.

Where has she been all my life?

"Well, I'm just trying to help a fellow tribute." I throw in a wink, just for fun, and she laughs. My heart soars again, and I declared a new mission in my head: Make this girl laugh as much as possible.

"Yeah well, Prince Charming, I still have to repay you." Her smile is still playful, but this time there's a certain warmth and gentleness about it that makes me melt. "Well, what if you and I had dinner?" I ask, with a hint of nervousness in my voice that I couldn't really hide. I have never ever asked out anyone in my entire life. What if she rejects me?

"I'd love that." She smiles even more tenderly, possibly because she noticed my apprehension earlier and she was trying to calm me down. I feel positively relieved and I grin dorkily at her, and she laughs that laugh of hers that sounds like tinkling bells, while I take in every feature of her face, trying to memorize each contour, and trying to etch it in my mind,

And we stay like that for I don't know how long, holding each other and looking at each other, and I've never felt happier.

And I suddenly had a revelation: I want to make memories with this girl. That way, even if I die, I still have something worthwhile to remember in the afterlife. This one would only be the beginning.

We're snapped out of the trance-like state that we managed to put each other into by the sound of an alarm siren, signifying that the parade was about to begin. I look at her sadly, not really wanting her to go, but she holds my hand and she rubs circles on it with her thumb. "Hey it's all right. We'll see each other around. After all, I still owe you dinner." She smiles at me one last time before she heads back to where her district partner is, looking more like she's floating than walking.

I'm pretty sure it's because that girl is too pure and too good to walk on this sinful earth.

"Who was that?" Joe asks me. I give him a lovestruck grin. "That was my soulmate, man."

He grins and shakes his head at my current state. "That's pretty obvious, dude. You were like staring at each other, as if no one else really mattered. What I mean is, what was her name?"

It takes me five seconds before the full implication of what he was trying to say hit me.

Oh shit.

"I totally forgot to ask her name didn't I?"

-.-.-.-.-

I hear the crowds before I see them.

There was a flash of bright light and it blinds me, but that deosn't stop me from hearing deafening roar of the crowds.

When I finally see them, I try not to let my jaws fall to the floor.

The crowd was massive. Everywhere you look, the citizens of the Capitol are there, in diffrenet shapes and sizes and colors. I hear my name and Joe's being screamed from every direction. They were cheering, blowing kisses, throwing roses and doing almost everything they can just so we can spare a glance at them. For a moment I felt like a hero, like someone who was so high and noble and adored, and I was _almost_ able to convince myself that this is something to be proud of.

Almost.

Until I remembered that this was just part of the Games. These people may love us now, but not as much as they would love seeing our blood spill on the ground in the arena. They act like we're the gods who descended from the heavens, but once we're in, they would start mocking our weakness, admiring our ability to kill, placing bets on who would die in less than a day. I start to seethe with rage, but then I remember that I was here for only one reason: To get the sponsors to like me. So I suck it all up, and I force the smile back onto my face, and our chariot, which was being pulled by two beautiful palomino horses with dark manes, lurched forward.

Have you ever ridden a chariot?

If you haven't, then I suggest that you don't try. At all.

The first few minutes are alright. You don't really feel anything in the beginning. In fact, there's even a sense of thrill. But chances are, the ride would last for more than a few minutes and after a while it gets really uncomfortable. You lose your balance several times, there isn't really much to grip on, and your legs start cramping. It's even worse for Joe and me, because we're under the pressure of trying to look as likeable as we can, so we have to keep the smile on our faces and just keep on waving ang winking at the crowds, even though we're wincing inwardly and latching on to the nearest part of the chariot that can keep us upright.

To distract myself from my aching legs, I looked at my reflection on the big screen,

I was smoking hot.

Blaine couldn't have done a better job.

I let my signature smirk spread out on my face, and then I look at the other tributes. They're not so bad, I suppose. But when it comes to pulling off the costume, nobody does a better job than me.

Except for the girl I met earlier that is.

At that moment, my eyes find her. She's on this chariot that's being pulled by two coal black horses, along with this guy who's a bit short. He was wearing the same thing as her, except the sleeves of his jumper were longer, and they were both carrying tools like rockdrills and wedges. And all of a sudden she turns and she looks at me. My breath hitches, and I grin widely. She waves a little bit, and she smiles back. But in her cobalt eyes, I see... hesitation? Apprehension? Anxiety? Or maybe... fear?

I frown. Did I do something wrong?

Once again. our unwavering gaze is broken by the blowing of a horn. She mouths 'I'll talk to you later' to me, and she brings her attention back to the ecstatic crowds. That's the only time I notice that we were approaching the end and that the chariot has slowed down.

Finally we came to a halt. I looked up and saw some old guy with fluffy white hair. He looked kind in a sinister sort of way, if that was even possible. The look of him gave me the creeps. He tapped the microphone twice, seemingly asking for silence. The crowd grew quiet.

"Welcome, tributes," he began. "Welcome, welcome. You have all been selected to participate in this year's 70th annual Hunger Games. I'm sure that it is a great honor to be your respective districts' representatives." He stopped for a moment and surveyed the tributes. When his eyes landed on me, my heart stopped, and not in a good way. No this was like the 'Oh-my-god-he's-going-to-do-something-to-me-but-I-don't-know-what-it-is-now-I'm-panicking-so-much-that-I'm-having-a-heart-attack' sort of heart stopping. There was just something so unnerving about him. "Good luck and happy Hunger Games. May the odds be _ever_ in you favor."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Back with another chapter. My friend Mariah wrote a good chunk of this. I'm TERRIBLE with mushy stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I edited Chapter 1. I realized that the tildes that I put disappeared. Yay! Brittany's here! Please review! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 3

The first thing I saw when I entered the supposed "dinner area" where the tributes have a meal together before they train to kill each other, was a huge buffet table. Now I've been in the Capitol for a few days, and I was getting used to the food which was always off-the-charts with their quality. But nothing could have prepared me for the amount of food here.

So I did what my stomach's been telling me to do and I made a bee-line for the table.

That's when i notice that I wasn't alone in the line. There was a blonde girl with hazel-green eyes. She was wearing a turquoise tube top with a scaly silver chest guard on its left side. She had turquoise bracers on her forearms and a navy blue archery glove on her right hand. Around her waist was a Green belt, the same shade as her chest guard. She was holding a silver recurve bow in her left hand. Her stomach was bare, showing of well-sculpted abdominal muscles. There was a simple net covering her thighs. Baby blue knee pads dominated her, well, knees. The rest of her legs were covered in the same green armor that her chest guard was made of. Finally, she had silver combat boots. She looked at me and studied me, which wasn't that different with the way Sue looked at me days before on the train. The blonde, after a few seconds, nodded a bit and smiled at me in a rogue-ish way. She looked cool and edgy, and there was this 'You-don't-want-to-mess-with-me' aura around her.

Now this blonde, would either be my enemy, or my ally.

I'd like to go with ally.

"My name's Quinn. Quinn Fabray. District 4." Great, a career. Go figure. She held out her hand to me, and I shook it. I added a bit of a firm grip in the hand shake, since it was the formal thing to do, and because it shows that you're confident. It leaves quite an impression really.

"Johanna. Johanna Santana Lopez Mason. District 7." She lets go of my hand and starts getting a plate. I do the same.

"So how's life here in the Capitol?" she asked.

"Well, it's different," I replied. Just as she was about to ask me something a black-haired girl sauntered up to us. She was followed by a tall boy with dark brown hair.

"Well, well, Quinnie! We meet again!" she squealed. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Rachel, I'm really not interested in getting into another conversation about your engagement with Finn before you both got reaped. Also, I hate nicknames," the blond said as she picked up some pieces of lamb chops and fish. I did the same only I put of a lot of this brown sauce over them. I looked around and surveyed the area and my eyes landed on the girl with sparkling blue eyes and wavy blonde hair I saw earlier. I stared. I couldn't help it. She's just too damn perfect. I noticed Quinn flick her eyes towards my direction.

"Actually, I just remembered that I had to introduce a friend of mine to someone," she suddenly said.

"Oh? And who would this _friend_ be?" Rachel asked.

"Santana over here," Quinn said point at me with her thumb. "See you some other time Rachel." She dragged me away "Though I hope I won't," she added quietly.

"Um... I really prefer being called Johanna," I told her. Quinn shrugged.

"Doesn't click."

"Wait, where are you taking me?" But then I noticed that she was dragging me to the other blonde across the room. Quinn scoffed.

"Dear, I saw you gawking at her. Luckily for you, I know her. You also gave me an excuse to get away from Treasure Trail."

"Treasure Trail?"

"Long story." A few seconds later, we were standing in front of Quinn's friend.

"Hey Brit!" Quinn said. The other blonde smiled in response. "Have you met Santana over here?" Quinn nudged me forward with her shoulder.

"Uh yeah! I sort of slipped before the parade and she caught me." I laughed. She turned towards me.

"My name's Brittany S. Pierce. I'm from District 12," she said, stretching her right arm forward to shake my hand.

"Johanna Santana L. Mason. From District 7," I said , taking her hand and shaking it. As soon as our hands met, a tingle went straight up my arm. It was like a jolt of electricity. I blushed and looked up to meet her eyes. There was an unmistakable gleam in it, and there was something about the smile that just... took my breath away.

Does that mean she felt it too?

"Your name's too long," she whined and did a little pout. I almost swooned at how adorable it was. "I'll just call you San!" She did that smile again, and I swear my heart melted. Normally I wouldn't even allow anyone except my parents to call me Santana, and unless some people want serious ass-kicking, they wouldn't even dare. But here's this girl that I barely know, making a nickname for me.

And I'm not even doing anything about it.

If I would be completely honest, I would say that I actually like it.

"There she is!" Quinn, Brittany, and I turned around and saw Rachel dragging Finn towards us. Quinn groaned.

"I'll be right back. I just have to... hide somewhere," she said. Quinn handed me her plate. "Hold this for me." And just like that, she bolted away.

Brittany and I chuckled at Quinn's misfortune. We watched her walk briskly, ducking behind random people just to make sure the dwarf doesn't see her. Brittany turns to me after awhile, amusement still shining in those baby blue eyes that I'm starting to like even more.

We stood there not really knowing what to say, and not really needing to say anything. But just so we don't look weird, you know standing there without doing anything, I speak up.

"Hey-"

"Hey-"

We both laugh. Apparently we chose the same time to talk. "Look you can go first," I told her, still smiling. "What a gentlewoman," Brittany says, while placing her hand over her heart in exaggerated admiration. I laugh lightly and I urge her to say what she wanted to say awhile ago. "I just wanted to ask you if...?" She stops, looking a bit nervous. But I smile at her and hold her hand in reassurance. "I was wondering if we could have that dinner now?" she asks, a bit uncertain.

"You didn't even have to ask," I grin at her, not caring if I looked like a dork. I got my plate of food, and added some more to it. Then I got an extra fork. Brittany looked at me curiously. "Where's my food?" "Well, I was thinking we could just share," I replied. "Well if you don't want to that's fine I guess. I mean, it's totally fine and I-" Brittany silences me with a kiss on the cheek.

My cheeks warmed up, and as soon as she pulled away my hand came up and touched the spot on my cheek where she kissed me.

She freaking kissed me.

Well it was on the cheek, but that doesn't matter.

"It's ok San. I'm cool with sharing," she says with a smile that pretty much screamed 'Hey I'm flirting with you.' She adds a wink, making me more flustered than I already was.

I guess I'm not as subtle as I thought.

And I could've stood there until tomorrow, absolutely lovestruck, until she calls out my name.

"San? Are you just going to stand there or will you walk with me and show me where we'll be having dinner?" Brittany was now several steps ahead of me, her arms crossed and one of her eyebrows raised.

Is it wrong to think that I found her really hot at that moment?

'Keep your hands to yourself, Mason.' I told myself. I walked up to her and smiled apologetically. Then I puffed my chest out, and held out my arm for her to hold onto. She giggled and shook her head in mock exasperation. "Have I ever told you that you can be such a dork sometimes?"

I shrugged. "I'm not trying to be a dork. I'm trying to be chivalrous." I wiggled my eyebrows at her for added effect. She burst out laughing. "First of all, don't ever do that thing with your eyebrows again. Second, isn't chivalry dead?"

"Miss Pierce, as long as it's for you, chivaly will never be dead. I will be your personal knight-in-shining-armor." I smiled in the most charming way that I can.

Brittany totally blushed.

Score!

Then she rolled her eyes at me. "Johanna Santana L. Mason, you are the cheesiest person I have ever met."

"But I'm only cheesy for you. I swear. Go ask anyone who knows me." I looked at her. And really I wasn't kidding. This is the most honest I've ever been. I don't even know what this girl did to me, but whenever I'm around her I just felt so happy. So free.

And I know it won't even last, but I couldn't really care less.

I just want to enjoy what we had now.

Brittany and I continued to walk. It was a comfortable silence. We went inside the elvator, and I pressed the number for the topmost floor.

Once we got out, Brittany looked confused. "Why are we at the floor for District 12?"

I smiled at her. "Just wait and see."

I led her to a door that nobody really noticed. I opened it, and there were a few flights of stairs. We went up, and Brittany let go of my arm to settle for my hand instead.

When we finally reached the top, I faced her. "Whatever you see here would be our secret okay? Nobody should know about this but us." Brittany nodded eagerly. "I'll even pinky promise with you!" She held out her pinky to me, and I laughed. I raised mine and wrapped it around hers. "Alright. You can go now."

We went in, or rather out. I just led Brittany to the rooftop. I stood there while Brittany stared in amazement. "We're at the rooftop? But I didn't even know there was a way to get here. The view is amazing!" I set down the food at a nearby blanket as I chuckled at the girl. "Just be careful. This place is surrounded by a force field. Probably because the Capitol government is afraid that some tributes will jump off from this building and die willingly to escape the torture known as the Games." She shook her head at me. "You're so bitter about all of this." I snorted. "Well isn't it true? Some people would prefer to die out here than in there. The only reason I'm even trying is because..." I gulped.

I almost told her.

Brittany smiled gently at me and walked closer. She took my hand and held it close to her heart. "Why are you trying to win so much Santana? Now that I think about it, I've never really asked you that."

I tried to avoid looking at her. I really did. Because I knew that one look and I would lose it. One look, and I'll be telling her words that I'm not even supposed to say.

But she turned my head towards her and snaked her arms around my neck. Then she leaned her forehead against mine.

I couldn't breathe. My heart was trying to break its way out of my chest. My eyes locked onto her breathtaking blue ones and I felt like my knees were about to buckle. Her eyes were full of nothing but sincerity and honesty.

And her lips were so impossibly close to mine. Another inch, and I would finally be able to know how they feel like against my own.

At that moment, I could only stare at her in awe.

"Why?" she asked again, softer this time, almost a whisper. Most people wouldn't have been able to hear it.

But her voice rang in my head, as loud and as clear as a silver bell.

"Because..." I trailed off. I can't do it.

It's too dangerous.

"Please Santana," Brittany pleaded. My heart almost broke. "I need to hear it."

Her words gave me all the courage I needed.

"Because I have someone to live for."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt so vulnerable. As if I just ripped my heart out and presented it to someone on a silver platter. I feel like I just gave Brittany complete power over me. She could take care of my heart and make me the happiest person in the whole of Panem.

Or she could break me.

And for the first time in my life I'm terrified. I'm terrified because I have never given anyone this much control.

I'm terrified because I know that after this, things will never be the same again.

And somehow Brittany knew. No, Brittany _understood_. She understood how I felt. She understood how scared I was. How doubtful I was. And it's almost like she understood these thoughts better than I did.

So she did the thing that made me forget everything.

Even my own name.

She pressed her lips against mine.

And she starts kissing me softly, tenderly. As if she's reassuring me, telling me that things would be alright, that we would find a way. It was so gentle, so comforting. It gave me a sense of peace that I never thought I would find, especially now that I was chosen as a tribute for the Games.

At first I'm too surprised to actually respond.

But then I closed my eyes, and I kissed back.

Since it was my first kiss, I thought it would be awkward. I thought it would be uncomfortable.

I had never been more wrong.

Our lips moved to the same rhythm instantly, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I felt Brittany move her hands from my neck to my hair, and I felt her run her fingers through it, tugging it every once in a while. My hands stayed at her hips, but I pulled her closer, needing more of her warmth.

The kiss wasn't that sexual, or sensual, or aggressive.

But it held so much passion, so much emotion, that I thought it was too perfect to be true. I saw fireworks, I felt sparks, I heard the sound of violins.

It was everything I wanted my first kiss to be, and more.

It was absolutely amazing. It was mind-blowing.

And to think that Brittany and I have only known each other for a day. Yet, it's like we've lived together for years. Some might say that everything is happening too fast, that the two of us can't possibly be falling in love when we only met a few hours ago.

But the two of us are part of the Games. Ever since our names were called out, our lives were cut short. Now we're forced to live day-by-day, not really knowing if this moment would be our last.

Life is too unpredictable for us now.

Which is why I'm willing to throw caution to the wind. I'm willing to risk anything and everything. Because I'll never be able to tell what would happen next.

'If I die tonight,' I thought. 'I'll go with no regret.'

-.-.-.-.-

"... and furthermore, you're not allowed to kill anyone during training sessions. You'll have a lot of time doing that in the battlefield. In the mean time, let the training commence!" I remembered what Sue said about training. Practice the skills I want to develop and make allies. I saw Quinn and Brittany walk over to the Ropes course. I followed them but just then some jerk bumped into me.

"Hey watch where you're going," he said. I raised my eyebrow at the guy and looked at him. He was lean and sort of tall, and his hair was perfectly coiffed. His eyes were hazel, with a hint of green. He isn't that bad looking really, and I would've liked him (not in the way I like Britt's, of course) if he wasn't acting so damn bitchy right now.

"Excuse _you_. You're the one who bumped _me_!" I said. I glared at him and he glared back.

"You wanna start a fight, pretty boy?" I challenged.

"Oh please, how are _you,_ a person from one of the poorest districts, going to win against _me_, a career?" My blood boiled. The nerve of this guy! Then I noticed his training outfit. The number 4 was printed on it. Wait, District 4? He's Quinn's district partner? But Quinn's so... nice compared to him!

"I can't believe you and Quinn are district partners. Quinn can be pretty fierce but she's awesome as a friend. As for you... you're an unbelievable thick-headed piece of gay shit." I mumbled. The guy frowned.

"You just challenged my honor. I demand satisfaction in District 4 tradition," he said with a look of feigned hurt. It was replaced a moment later with a mocking smirk. A group of tributes gathered behind Sebastian.

"Sebastian, please. This isn't time for one of your hissy fits," someone said. I turned around and saw Quinn and Brittany standing behind me. Sebastian, huh? So that's his name.

"You wanna have a duel? Hey Quinn, Britt, can you guys hang back for a second. I'm gonna need you to see this." He looked at me with anger burning in his eyes.

"Everyone else clear out. I don't want you to see me make a girl cry." I scoffed. Clearly he hasn't seen me with an axe. The other tributes stayed, but they quickly ran out when they saw the glares that Sebastian and I gave them.

"Let's just keep this on point," I shot back.

"Yeah, yeah. So your weapon of choice?" he asked.

"You first."

"Tch. Get them at the same time." We bolted over to a weapons' rack. I grabbed a double-bladed axe. I turned to see what he got. Oh hell no. His weapon... there's only one copy of it which probably means that people barely use it.

"A trident? Seriously?" I said. He laughed.

"It's better than yours. An axe?" Then he smirked. That did it, I swung my axe towards his chest but he easily blocked it with his trident. He twisted his weapon and flicked it outward, wrenching my axe out of my hands then sending it flying towards Brittany and Quinn who pushed Brittany out of the way before dodging it herself.

"Sebastian seriously, stop it. You can get someone killed! There's a lot of time for that in the Games!" Sebastian used the butt of the trident to push me away from the weapons rack. Damn, that hurt.

"Don't really care," he muttered. I sprinted towards my axe, slid, grabbed it off the ground then jumped back up, raising my axe just in time. He nearly skewered me with that stupid pitchfork of his. I shoved his trident away and brought my axe around and I would have lopped his stupid face off if he hadn't ducked and kicked my feet making me trip. He stabbed his trident downward and I rolled to the side. I landed a neat kick to his left leg. I boosted myself up. He glared then charged back at me, trident raised but someone tackled him, bringing him down. He dropped his trident and Brittany immediately picked it up.

"You bitch!" Sebastian yelled. "We're suppoesd to be District partners!"

Quinn? I looked at Brittany who looked horrified. Sebastian flipped Quinn over but she kneed his crotch. He rolled on his back. Quinn jumped up and kicked Sebastian's stomach.

"You didn't have to attack Santana!" she yelled. Sebastian tackled her legs, making her fall again. He moved on top of her and started choking her. Brittany and I ran forward to help her but someone else got there ahead of us. A blonde boy grabbed Sebastian's shoulder and yanked him off Quinn. The boy helped Quinn up.

"Are you okay..." he trailed off, not knowing Quinn's name.

"Quinn. Quinn Fabray, District 4. I'm fine, thanks to you, and you're...?"

"Sam Evans, District 2. My pleasure, Quinn," he said, bowing. Quinn laughed. I noticed that Sam had a... rather... large mouth.

"Hey! I'm still alive over here!" Sebastian yelled. Oops, forgot all about that bozo. I stomped over to him.

"You're ruining the moment," I said. Then I punched him. Sebastian doubled over.

"I have no time for this crap," he said, gritting his teeth. Then he walked to some other training station to do who knows what. I looked back at the two blondes. They seemed to be having a good time. I looked at Brittany.

"So... Ropes course?" I said, grinning in a goofy way.

"Race you to it," she simply replied, suddenly sprinting towards the said station.

"No fair!" I yelled running after her.

-.-.-.-.-

"Alright, your Day One of training is over, how was it?" Sue asked me and Joe over dinner.

"Well some guy with a funny accent named Rory kept picking on me," Joe said.

"Hope he dies," Sue said. "And you?" The question was directed at me.

"Well there was this career named Sebastian from District 4. We sort of got into a fight," I mumbled.

"And what about his District partner?"

"Quinn? She's a friend. She practically saved me. But then her district partner kind of lost it and started choking her. She was saved by another career, this time, from District 2. We all got along quite well... and um... I forgot to tell you this but I met this... girl before the parade. She's from District 12." Sue stopped eating momentarily. She looked at me.

"First off, sweater meat, there are no _friends_ in the battlefield. Everyone's going to betray you sooner or later Second, don't get yourself involved with anyone. It will make it harder for you to kill them and it can prove to be a distraction. Remember that," she said sternly.

"I know that. All I'm saying is that these guys can be great allies out in the field." My eyes flashed in irrtation at the woman, but I knew she was right. Getting myself invovled would make it harder to win. But Brittany...

My mind went back to last night. the touch, the kiss...

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. _Don't think about it now_._ You _can't_ think about it now._

-.-.-.-.-

Day 2 of the Training Sessions. Things went better, I practically avoided Sebastian but he kept shooting dagger glares at my direction. Quinn and the boy, Sam, seemed to be getting it good. Sam's a swordsman. A _really_ good one. He totally owned the trainer at the station. Quinn was just... wow. Her skill with the bow was amazing! Well, I guess that's what you'd expect from a career tribute. Finally, Brittany. Well, she didn't really pick up any of the weapons provided. As she looked at the weapons rack, she seemed very disappointed.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. Brittany scratched her head.

"I can't find a whip," she said. I stared.

"A whip?"

"Yes, a whip. That's my weapon! I'm actually quite good with it." I looked down in embarrasment.

"O-of course! Weapon, right." Brittany looked at me.

"What were you thinking?" she asked, curious. But there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye that told me she knew _exactly_ what was going on in my head.

"Nothing! Nothing. I was just wondering why... why... why a whip's your weapon!" I blurted out. She laughed.

"Well, it's a really... great weapon of choice. It's unlike the others. It's flexible and can hit people in close-ranged combat and also those in a further distance," she explained. I nodded.

"Besides," she leans in and whispers to my ear. "It's pretty handy, if you know how to use it properly. And not just in the arena." She throws in an extra flirty wink and grins.

I almost passed out.

Is this girl trying to kill me?

"Right." I looked around, trying to hide my obvious blush. It does not help that I am _so _turned on right now. "Well I bet this place has all the weapons. I'm sure we can find one." We walked over to Quinn and Sam who were busy being all sweet and shit over some nets, fish hooks, and the like.

"Sorry to interrupt, lovebirds but Britt can't seem to find her weapon of choice," I said. Quinn's cheeks took on a tinge of pink.

"Well... what weapon do you use?" Trouty Mouth asked Brittany.

"A whip," she replied. Quinn's eyes visibly grew wider.

"Wow. Whip-wielders are rare now-a-days. I'm pretty I saw some by the javelins and spears," she said, smiling. "You know what? I'll just go with you." Quinn boosted herself up with one hand.

"Alright, try the last knot I taught you. I'll be back to check if you did it right," she told Sam who winked at her.

"Got it." Quinn grabbed me and Brittany by the shoulders.

"Woah, woah. Okay, chill blondie," Brittany mumbled, amused. Quinn let go of us.

"Right so, why do you use a whip?" she asked Brittany, who shrugged.

"It just seems right to use it. I can't imagine using anything else," the other blonde replied. Quinn nodded.

"I understand, of course, but you're going to need to learn how to use some other weapons just in case."

"What? Why?!" Brittany whined. Quinn sighed and shook her head. She abruptly stopped walking and turned around. I nearly plowed into her.

"Listen, hardly anyone uses a whip. It would be difficult to find during the Games. In the occasion when you can't find one, which is very likely, you'll be left weaponless, and an excellent target... unless you have a back-up weapon," Quinn explained. Brittany nodded. I just stared at Quinn. She just had so much authority I don't think I'd be able to question. I found myself thinking about what would happen in the Games if ever we would end up in a situation where we would be forced to kill each other.

"Quiiiiiiinnn!" came a high-pitched, sing-song voice. We turned around and saw Rachel and Finn bounding towards us (well, more of Rachel bounding towards us and Finn following her around).

"Great! So I think that we, as careers, should have an alliance! We'll be the strongest team out there since we are, of course, careers! There's no point hanging out with these losers-"

"You used to be just sort of unlikeable. But now I pretty much feel like punching you every time you open your mouth," Quinn said, interrupting Rachel in the middle of her rant.

"What?! Why?! We're careers! We should be comfortable with each other and you shouldn't be allying yourself with those poor people from District 7 and District 12!"

That did it.

"Listen! I'm from District 7! You know what goes down in District 7?! Bad things!" I yelled at her, lunging forward. Quinn and Brittany held my arms, preventing me from doing any damage, unfortunately. Rachel covered her mouth. Finn put his head on his hands.

"Hey, hey, San. Just calm down. She's just another arrogant tribute! C'mon, we still need to get Brittany's whip!" Quinn said, in an effort to calm me down. Oh please. That arrogant tribute insulted my district! She's sooooo getting the District 7 treatment! I struggled to move forward. Quinn dug her nails into my right arm.

"Yow!" I yelped. Immediately stopping myself from trying to beat Rachel up.

"I suggest you leave now before San does anything to you," Brittany piped up. Rachel just stared then immediately backed away with her boyfriend following her. I glared in their direction then I glared at Quinn.

"Did you really have to dig your nails into my skin?" I demanded. It seriously hurt!

"Santana, you were going to go on a killing spree. If you do so here, in training, you'll immediately be disqualified and executed in front of everyone in Panem. And frankly, I don't want you to die..." Quinn trailed off. Brittany and I stared at Quinn.

"Don't you want to win?" Brittany asked. Quinn said nothing. She just pushed past us and continued walking towards the spears. I looked at Brittany who looked back at me.

"I wonder what's wrong with Quinn," I tell her, when the said blonde was already out of hearing range.

"I don't know San," Brittany says, looking deep in thought. "But as for now I think we should just let her be. She's probably dealing with some stuff right now that she doesn't want to talk about."

"But won't it be easier for her to tell us? You know, about whatever she's going through?" I ask her.

"Everyone has their secrets. And I'm sure that when she's ready to tell us hers, she will. Because we're the Unholy Trinity."

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow at the blue-eyed blonde. "The Unholy Trinity?"

She blushed a bit. "Well yeah. I mean, there's the three of us, and we're getting close, and we're part of the Games and we have to kill people. And killing is unholy so..." I laughed at her. She's just so cute when she rambles. "Chill, Britts. I like the name. It's pretty badass." Brittany grins in relief. "Good. 'Cause it would have been so awkward if you didn't." I chuckled again. "Now all you have to do is tell Quinn."

Brittany visibly pales. I start laughing hysterically. We both knew how Quinn didn't really like nicknames. How Brittany was going to convince her to accept the name was beyond me.

"Tell me what?" Quinn comes back in that instant, with a whip in one hand and a javelin in the other. I try to hold in my laughter as Brittany smiles awkwardly.

"You see Quinn, I was just telling Ms. Mason here-" Brittany turns and glares at me, and I immediately shut up."-that I really like you as a friend. And that you and me, along with Santana, would make a super awesome alliance. And if ever we do become an alliance, I was just thinking that we should name ourselves the Unholy Trinity."

I hold my breath as I wait for Quinn's reaction. I wait for the moment when she goes red, then purple, and then she would proceed to blow off.

But that moment never came.

Brittany must have been waiting for that too, because when Quinn came closer to her, she flinched. Quinn laughed. "I think the name's cool. It sounds... badass."

Brittany and I were both surprised. "But I thought you hated names." I was the first one to recover, so I was the one who spoke up.

"Yeah, if they're for me," Quinn mutters. "But if it's a group name, I guess I can live with it."

I turned to Brittany. She looked like a big weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Her face then breaks out into her signature smile and then she lunges towards Quinn with so much force that Quinn drops the weapons she was previously holding. "Easy there B. You could've run into this javelin." She tries to look annoyed with Brittany, but that isn't something you can easily do, especially when Brittany's hugging you like that.

"Thank you Quinn! I promise we're going to be like, lifelong friends!" Brittany screams. I shake my head at her while smiling. That girl is too adorable.

"Yeah," Quinn says, a gentle smile on her face, "I'm sure we will be."

Then she did the classic Fabray Eyebrow Raise at me. " Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to join in? Aren't you supposed to be one-third of the 'Unholy Trinity'?" Quinn says looking exasperated.

I grin at her and wrap my arms around her and the other blonde who looked like she just won the jackpot at a lottery.

"Didn't know you had a soft side, Fabgay."

"Didn't know I had one either, Lezpez." She replied altering my middle name instead of my last name. We all laughed. I just wish that this moment could last forever. That we weren't in the Games and we're just ordinary teenagers having a good time. Quinn must have been thinking of the same thing because she sighed, let us go then bent forward to retrieve the weapons she dropped.

"Well B, here's your whip. Before I give you this javelin, I want to see you use that whip," she said. Brittany looked a bit uncertain but nevertheless, she took the whip from Quinn then she walked over to a set of training dummies. She hesitated for a moment then proceed to attack.

I took a step back. Woah. Okay, that's wicked. I watched Brittany's movements. She seemed so graceful despite the fact that she just yanked off the head of one dummy and ripped off a limb of another. It was just amazing. I looked at Quinn whose eyebrow was raised. Her face was unreadable. A few seconds later, Brittany finished. She walked back to Quinn, a satisfied smile on her face.

"That was... good. You have excellent body coordination. You'll do fine with the javelin." And with that, Quinn handed her the said weapon. "Now go to the javelin trainer and learn what you can." Brittany smiled wider, gave Quinn a hug then walked to wear she was told to go. I turned to follow her but Quinn grabbed my arm.

"As for you, you need to practice throwing an axe... and wielding it properly. I saw how you used it yesterday, quite well, actually. However, based on your performance, you don't really know how to throw it." Then she let go of me, and walked back to where Sam was. I blinked. I forgot all about that.

-.-.-.-.-

My. Body. Hurts. So. Damn. Much. Quinn made me do so many... painful... stretches.

_"Ooooooowwwww!"_

_"Come on! Hold that position for a few more seconds!"_

_"THE BACK OF MY THIGH HUUURRRTS!"_

_"Your hamstring? It's supposed to."_

_"What kind of sadistic 'exercise' is this?"_

_"Bend over some more!"_

_"Urgh. My neck feels like it's going to snap!"_

_"It won't."_

_*crack*_

I rubbed the back of my neck. Okay, my neck didn't snap but it cracked a bit.

"What happened to you?" a voice said. I turned around and saw Sue, looking very smug.

"Well, the female career from District 4 made me do stretches. Said it would help me," I replied.

"She does have a point. You're too stiff," Sue told me.

"Hey!"

"So I talked to the mentor of this, Quinn girl..." Mentors talk to each other? "She said that Lady doesn't want to win. Reminds me of a younger version of myself. She'll be a good ally. She won't betray you. Oh and your district partner, Joe? He's losing it. Watch out for him but in the Games... avoid him as much as possible. He'll create too much noise and attract other tributes." I gulped then nodded. This was strange. Sue wants me to abandon my district partner. If he dies, would I be able to live knowing that I abandoned him? Would I be able to live with the guilt? I don't think so. With the twisted mindset of the Games, I really don't know how victors can live with it.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Well, here we are with Chapter 3. My friend and I apologize for the long update. We had Periodic Exams and we had to study. Now my friend wrote the sappy, cheesy parts while I get all the violence. We both worked on the neutral ground. And Quinn's here! Fabrevans is up. Sebastian's Quinn's District Partner. Yeah. Yes, I made Quinn use 'Lopez' instead of 'Mason'. Let's just say that she prefers Santana's middle name over her surname. Sam, Sebastian, Joe, and Sue are probably going to be the only ones calling her Johanna so don't get confused.**

**Remember: Santana = Johanna**

**Well that's a wrap! 'Til next time...**


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